TOPIC: Average weight of roots

I am new to this, and although I have the ideal location for growing ginseng, am just now getting to where I am about to plant some seed (I feel it grows naturally, but a neighbor has been stealing it).

I'm trying to gauge results, and was wondering how large ginseng roots get. How much can I expect a root to weight at 5 years and at 10? Can anyone help with this?

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Howdy Red,
The answer to the question varies in many ways.
use this link for vast amounts of great info for growing.
First you need to reach an understanding with your neighbor! Make him a working partner or something ! hehe... my neighbor plants his own. The pic is of a root from the seed I planted
in the fall of 2006
Hope this helps.... jim

So that root has seen three growing seasons then. How much does it weigh?

My neighbors aren't the type to trust; their dog bit me in the face in 1995 and I never got so much as an apology. My big problem is that I do not reside on the property, but if the results are what I think they will be, it will be worth my while to buy a used camper and live up there for half the year to keep an eye on things until I harvest it.

The location is ideal; three feet of humus and I still can't hit dirt, under tuplip poplar 100+ feet tall on the northern slopes. Steep and well-drained, but moist, with about 5 acres in total that I can plant. I know I'm looking at a good return in 5-19 years; I just want to know if I can expect 1 oz. roots or 8 oz. in that time frame.

Doug

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I believe, I have read that it will take 250 to 300 five year old roots to make a pound of dried root.

So, if 10 pounds of seed are approx. 72,000 seeds and with a 70 % survival rate,
my hope would be to have over 50,000 roots at 300 roots per pound
yielding around 165 pounds of dried root at $ 400 == $ 65,000 +

also 3 yr old rootlets are fetching around $ 2.50 each,
plus the seed you will have coming from 3 year old roots = $
...............Plant & Dig,!.....Jim

The 3 year old root pictured weighs 6 grams ( fresh )

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If you have wild sim plants and have more that 25% of your seeds make it past 5 years you are a horticulture genius. You should be much more realistic in your projections (70% no way). Wild simulating your seeds with perfect conditions will at best give you a 25% chance probably more like 10% for five years. If you choose to spray and fertilize you can do better but don't fool yourself about how easy it is to grow huge amounts of wild sim seng just because you have a good location. It's not that easy.

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Thank you for your reply. I am not looking for this venture to make me retire like a Powerball winner, but I do expect a higher than normal rate of return. I am, actually, a horticultural genius and will now apply this expertise to ginseng.

Will it send me to the Bahamas? No. But it will cover the costs needed to pursue my original project, and that is all that matters to me.

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Yes, I could use luck as well. While I did not mean for my last post to sound egotistical, I do have a silver thumb. I have already reintroduced a redwood specie that has not grown naturally in the area for 25 million years, and I am now taking that expertise to grow ginseng to fund the project.

I appreciate your feedback and pessimism, but even with a success of only 25%, due to the area involved, the rewards will be exponantial.

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Jimseng, I was looking at that 3 year old plant. What environment did you plant that? Seems like it is pretty big. Where I plant in the woods there is no way I can expect a root to get that big. Also, has anyone recieved $2.50 for their 3 yr old roots? thx.

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